Ace Combat Zero: Belkan War (Review)

Topic: Ace Combat Zero: Belkan War (Review)

Well I have gotten my copy of Namco's sixth installment of Ace Combat. And I'll tell you what. It's worth every penny.

1. Story
Once again, the story is told from a preceptive of someone wanting to know what happened in the war. Past tense.

You are flying as GALM 1 (Mercenary) "Cipher", GALM SQUADRON -- 6th Air Division / 66th Air Force Unit for the nation of Ustio. During the war you earn the title DEMON LORD due to your uncanny skill in taking out enemy craft in Air Space BR7. A major area of activity by the Belkan Air Force.

You engage different Belkan Ace Squadrons through out the game. The squadrons that you fight depends on your Ace Ranking.

2. Rank System
The game still uses the letter ranking system for your skill during each misison. But Namco has added a new part to the game. Your Ace ranking. You can score one of three rankings. One, Knight; Two, Soldier; or Three, Mercenary. It all depends on how you take out targets.

3. Enemy Targets
They have also updated the enemy targets. You know have "Neutral" targets. These targets show up as yellow on your HUD. They can be anything from a house to a disabled fighter aircraft. You can be targeting an enemy fighter and hit it with your auto cannon. The target will switch from Green or Red to Yellow. The fighter is now a Neutral aircraft. It will not attack you and simply ty to retreat to it's friendly base. You can either let it go or you can shot it down. By letting it go, you gain points to become a Knight. If you shot it down, you gain points to become a Mercenary. You can stay in the middle with the Soldier ranking by allowing some Neutral to survive and destorying other Neutral targets.

4. Enemy AI
The enemy will fight harder and fly faster than the games that came before it. You can really have some fun because of the replay value.

5. Levels / Missions
THe levels aren't bad at all. There is not a single mission where you have to destory Radar Jamming Blimps or Escort a Transport Aircraft through your own SAM Defense System. All of the missions are action packed.

6. Extra
In the ectra sections of the game you can still view the medals that you have earned. But there is also now a Action Report. You can see those that you have shot down and also get a little bit of background of the pilot that flew that aircraft. It lists what they did before the war, during the war, and if they survived. What they did after the war. Also you still have the scene viewer, music player, free missions, and the chance to play the story mode again with all of the aircraft that you have gotten the first time you played the game. Lastly, if you have a Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies save file and a Aco Combat 5: The Unsung War save file. Two aircraft will be easier to get.

7. Controls
Just like the last two games. Very simple to learn and understand but it can still take time to truly master you aircraft.

8. Multi-Player
I've never owned any Ace Combat series game for multi-player. So I don't know nor do I care.

9. Rent or Buy
Buy if your a huge Ace Combat Fan. The story ties in great with Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.

10. Hint
Be on the look out for Captain Bartlett (Heartbreak One) from the Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War game. Since this is a prequel to that game. He and the other charactors and locations are in the game.

Score - 8.7 out of 10

April 30th, 2006

AFSteliga

AC5 was one of my favorite games. Once I get a chance, I'm going to get ahold of AC6